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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29586969">páthos</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood and Gore, Disturbing Themes, F/M, Heavy Angst, Insanity, Murder, POV First Person, Percy Jackson is a Mess, Possession, Post-Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Pre-The Heroes of Olympus, no beta we die like [redacted]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2018-07-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2018-07-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 00:40:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,004</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29586969</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It started with the new boy at Camp. It ended with me stained red. I couldn't help but descend into madness.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>anonymous</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. dazed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>uhhhhh this fic is. pretty disturbing. i have no idea what was going through my head when i wrote this....</p><p>hope you like it i guess??</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It started with a boy. A boy who came to camp at midnight. A boy with blond hair and blue eyes and a bright smile.</p>
<p>I met him the next morning. He gave me a huge grin and said, "Hi, my name's Niles Northway, it's nice to meet you!"</p>
<p>I looked down at the twelve-year-old's hand, then back up to his face. Then I smiled. "Hi Miles, I'm Percy Jackson."</p>
<p>Niles pouted. "Not Miles, Niles! Like, with an <em>N."</em></p>
<p>I laughed. "Like the Nile River?"</p>
<p>"Yes!"</p>
<p>"Well then, nice to meet you, Niles." And we shook hands.</p>
<p>He went and did the same thing with everyone else at breakfast. He chatted brightly with Will Solace, wore a grin that made me shudder with the Stoll brothers, and wasted absolutely no time in starting up a rivalry with a boy from Ares cabin, Sanders Urichi.</p>
<p>And when he shook hands with Annabeth, his cheeks went slightly red and he started stuttering about how he had other things to do while Annabeth giggled. I chuckled softly. The kid was honestly adorable.</p>
<p>
  <em>I should probably tell Annabeth to nip that crush while it's still a bud, though. Might break his heart to realize we're dating when he's actually into her...</em>
</p>
<p>And I chuckled again.</p>
<p>Niles wasted no time in proclaiming to everyone that he was awesome and better than everyone there <em>especially that prick Sanders!</em></p>
<p>He promptly failed at every single activity Camp Halfblood had to offer.</p>
<p>I had to admit, though, the kid had a spine of steel, a heart of gold, and a will of fire. When I pushed him down during sword practice, he stood right back up, dusted off his clothes, and charged into the fray with renewed vigor.</p>
<p>Of course, I promptly kicked his butt again, but that's besides the point.</p>
<p>That night, I was strangely not surprised when Apollo claimed him.</p>
<p>And, of course, we all had a good laugh at Niles' complete freak-out when Apollo's symbol appeared above his head.</p>
<p>"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"</p>
<p>"Apollo claimed you, moron."</p>
<p>"SHUT UP, SANDERS!"</p>
<p>Niles continued to suck at pretty much everything. Everyone still adored him though, even Sanders would, when pressed, admit that Niles wasn't the worst person he'd met.</p>
<p>And everyone noticed how a room would brighten up when he walked in. He could make people laugh (intentionally or unintentionally) and made up for his lack of skill with sheer guts and determination.</p>
<p>(And we'd all facepalm when Niles remained oblivious to Hannah Hills, who quite obviously liked him. Not to mention how much everyone cringed in sympathy when Niles proclaimed Hannah to be his <em>best friend FOREVER!)</em></p>
<p>Sometimes I would find my eyes randomly drift to him, though. And I would feel this...this feeling.</p>
<p>It's not love, you creeps. No, I loved Annabeth with all my heart.</p>
<p>When I looked at Niles, I felt something different.</p>
<p>It took me three weeks to figure out what that feeling was.</p>
<p>It was when I was staring down at my steak, suddenly finding it unappetizing. It was when I realized how I had yet to eat a satisfying meal in what felt like weeks.</p>
<p>It was when the voice first appeared. It was when it whispered one, and only one, word into my head.</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span class="u">Hungry.</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. horror</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I woke up at midnight, and I could already tell that something was wrong. Something about the air, how it reeked, how my hands were stiff and covered in something that flaked off whenever I moved.</p><p>How there was this...this taste in my mouth that was frighteningly familiar, yet I couldn't place it.</p><p>I opened my eyes, just a bit. It took my brain a second to register the red.</p><p>And then I had to cover my mouth with my hand because <em>oh god it's everywhere-</em></p><p>I looked down at where it came from and realized <em>nonono this can't be happening-</em></p><p>And then I saw his bright blond hair, the color of sunshine, and I felt tears in my eyes because <em>oh god Niles I killed him I killed him <strong>I killed him-</strong></em></p><p>I resisted the urge to throw up when I examined the body closer and <em>oh nonono what happened to his fave where is his fave why doesn't he have a face-</em></p><p>That's when I finally realized what was in my mouth. I finally realized what tasted so familiar.</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span class="u">Blood.</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>And I knew it wasn't mine.</p>
<hr/><p>I was there for an hour. An hour sitting there, my hand over my mouth, trying to resist the urge to scream.</p><p>I felt like I was drowning. I was the son of Poseidon and I was drowning.</p><p>I was drowning in the <em>red red red it's everywhere-</em></p><p>I was drowning in Niles' voice <em>which I had heard just yesterday what have I done why did this happen how is he dead-</em></p><p>I was drowning in my thoughts because <em>what am I a monster I'm a monster look at it <strong>it's everywhere-</strong></em></p><p>And then the voice appeared for the second time.</p><p>
  <em>
    <span class="u">Interesting.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>And I bolted up, picked a random direction, and ran. I realized that I was in the forest and that I was lucky that none of the tree nymphs saw what I had done and <em>what am I thinking I killed him I'm a murderer-</em></p><p>But I kept running because I was terrified of what I had done <em>because I killed him and his eyes were so bright and his smile-</em></p><p>I kept running because I was terrified of what I had done <em>because oh god, he was <strong>twelve-</strong></em></p><p>I kept running because I was terrified of what I had done because <em>if someone finds out <strong>I'm dead-</strong></em></p><p>I eventually found my way back to camp. It was pure luck that I made it into my cabin without any of the harpies spotting me.</p><p>I just sat on the floor, for once thankful that I was the only resident there, and I sobbed.</p><p>I sobbed because <em>I killed an innocent boy-</em></p><p>I sobbed because <em>what have I done am I insane-</em></p><p>But I sobbed the most when the voice came back.</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span class="u">You don't think you've been set up?</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>And I didn't think I'd been set up <em>because my hands are red and I still have that taste in my mouth please no-</em></p><p>And I realized that no matter how much I was drowning, I was still <em>alive alive alive</em> while he was <em>dead dead <strong>dead-</strong></em></p><p>But I was alive. I was a hot mess. I couldn't think straight. So my body followed it's instincts.</p><p>
  <em>Survive.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. tension</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I hauled a few buckets of water back to my cabin from the lake. It was freshwater so it would clean all the <em>red red red it's everywhere-</em></p><p>I couldn't bathe there because surely one of the creatures in the water would realize that <em>it was red and it wasn't mine-</em></p><p>So I hauled it back to my cabin from the lake. I stripped off my clothes and washed myself and made sure that I was clean and <em>it fell of like flakes like they didn't belong to the boy I had <strong>killed-</strong></em></p><p>I tried to wash my clothes <em>but it won't go it's redredred and it won't go-</em></p><p>And then I remembered that water wouldn't wash it. I remembered Mr. D complaining how much money they wasted on vinegar to get all the clothes clean. I remembered having some on my night stand because I liked vinegar <em>and now vinegar will pay back the favor and clean my clothes-</em></p><p>And then I laughed this sick, twisted laugh becausebI was obviously going insane.</p><p>So I scrubbed my clothes until the <em>redredred </em>was gone.</p><p>I killed the flakes to dissolve in the water and I wiped at all up with a tag and my nose scrunched because <em>it smelled oh god it smelled-</em></p><p>I decided to burn it in the campfire that night. No one would question it since it seemed to be a bit of a trend.</p><p>And then I climbed into bed, naked, and closed my eyes shut because it was honestly too much and I was tired <em>and Niles was dead and I wasn't-</em></p><p>I dreamed I was laughing brightly with Niles and Annabeth and Grover and everyone and then Niles just ran away <em>and why isn't he running faster why am I chasing him why is he scared what am I doing <strong>what</strong>is<strong>going</strong>on-</em></p><p><strong>I stared </strong>blankly down at my meal. Breakfast. The most important meal of the day. Yet they insist on feeding us this sludge. But if I squinted and tilted my head to the side, just a little bit, it looked a little red and it was suddenly a lot more edible and <em>you<strong>monster</strong>what<strong>is</strong>wrong<strong>with</strong>you-</em></p><p>And then Will Solace came up to me. He was smiling nervously, his eyes concerned. "Percy, do you know where-Woah, are you okay, dude? You look horrible!"</p><p>I hadn't looked in the mirror this morning but I could just imagine how I looked. Ruffled hair, bags under my eyes, and an empty expression.</p><p>And I couldn't shake off the feeling that my hands were stained <em>redredred </em>and my breath reeked of <em>redredred oh<strong>god</strong>it's<strong>everywhere</strong>-</em></p><p>And I stated into Will's eyes and stopped myself before I could <em>shake him and scream and beg for forgiveness because I<strong>killed</strong>him<strong>I</strong>killed<strong>him</strong>I<strong>killed</strong>him-</em></p><p>Instead, I smiled. "Don't worry about me. I just had a rough night."</p><p>Will nodded, obviously not believing me, but he let it go because <em>I'm Percy Jackson the hero of Camp and I can take care of myself and it<strong>obviously</strong>couldn't<strong>be</strong>that<strong>bad-</strong></em></p><p>"Do you know where Niles is?" he asked. "Because he never came to Apollo Cabin last night and he isn't here and I'm worried and-"</p><p>I smiled and told him that everything was fine and that Niles was probably playing a prank and that he shouldn't worry but <em>I'm<strong>drowning</strong>all<strong>over</strong>again-</em></p><p>And Will just sighed and thanked me and I smiled back and said, "No problem!"</p><p>And he walked away and I was just sitting there with my hand clenching my spoon so hard that it was white but at least it wasn't <em>redredred oh<strong>god</strong>it's<strong>everywhere-</strong></em></p><p>When lunch rolled around and Niles still hadn't shown up, everyone started getting anxious.</p><p>No one talked in more than a whisper and everything was strained and Sanders literally punched the Hermes kid who suggested that maybe he had run away.</p><p>Sanders sneered down at the Hermes kid who was clutching his jaw. He spat in his face and turned and walked calmly out of there and all I could this was <em>don't hit him hit me I deserve it I<strong>killed</strong>him-</em></p><p>He was missing for two days before the tree nymphs came across the nightmare fuel I had left behind and even now every time I close my eyes it's always <em>redredred it's<strong>everywhere-</strong></em></p><p>Chiron wouldn't let any of the campers near there and that included me and I almost laughed because <em>I'm<strong>the</strong>one<strong>who</strong>did<strong>it-</strong></em></p><p>The Stoll brothers managed to sneak to where the body was before it was removed. They came back with a haunted look in their eyes and refused to talk to anyone about it.</p><p>The rumors started to run rampant around Camp.</p><p>
  <em>"I heard his face was gone-"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I heard there was blood everywhere-"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"He was probably killed by some savage beast-"</em>
</p><p>I couldn't help but agree.</p><p>And when I saw the look in Sanders and Hannah's eyes, I realized that I really, truly was a monster because <em>Niles is dead and he had so much to live for and now he's gone because<strong>of</strong>me-</em></p><p>The rumors started to grow more and more outrageous.</p><p>
  <em>"They say he was sacrificed to some forgotten god-"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"-killed by a cult that worships-"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"-they're in our camp-"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"-they're campers-"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"-they want to kill more people-"</em>
</p><p>I didn't realize how right that last one was.</p>
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